ONE HUNDRED YEARS IN NORTH RIVERSIDE

This coming Saturday (Oct. 1, 2011) the Scottish American History Club will share its time with the Illinois St. Andrew Society and the Scottish Home as they celebrate “100 Years in North Riverside.” The meeting begins at 2:00 p.m. and reservations are necessary (708-447-5092). Attendance is limited to 125. There will be refreshments: “special teas, coffee, scones with clotted cream, shortbread, muffins and an array of finger sandwiches.” I will be repeating a presentation on the history of the Scottish Home given at the North American Leadership Conference last year. If you have never visited the Scottish Home this would be good opportunity.

The Scottish Home was originally located on Chicago’s south side, close to the lake. The two story brownstone was small and located next to the railroad tracks that run along Lake Michigan. It was decided to move further away from the smoke-filled air to the countryside. We do not know who located the five acres for sale in Riverside.

The land was owned by Mary V. Hughes and the asking price was $2,500.00. It was described as "on a ridge 1,000 feet east of the Des Plaines river, is well wooded and has flourishing apple trees as an attraction.” The Board of Governors approved the purchase on June 8, 1909, and Dr. John McGill donated the money. (Older Society records indicate that Dr. McGill owned the land but that does not appear to be accurate.)

Riverside was the first planned community in the United States and had train access to Chicago. It also served as the summer home for a large numbers of families. When the Great Fire occurred in 1871, many of those families moved permanently to Riverside. The Riverside Golf Club was established in 1893 and at least one Scot served on that original board. It is said that a fresh water spring ran near the first tee and here local residents obtained their drinking water. The Des Plaines River was also a popular attraction being used for fishing, camping and boating. I have been told that one of the boat docks was at the end of 28th street and that was one of the prime reasons for extending the street past the Scottish Home.

When the Columbian Exposition occurred in 1893, a local newspaper reports that much of the top soil in the area now known as North Riverside was removed and used for the floral displays at the Fair. During Prohibition the area was used for making illegal whiskey and was often raided by the Feds. In May 1928, just north of the present Village Hall, two carloads of gangsters ambushed the Chief of Police and two others as they drove down Des Plaines Avenue. Melody Mill located where the Village complex now stands was a very famous dance hall with a skating rink in the basement, Rumor has it that it was owned by Al Capone. When bicycle clubs were popular, group trips to Riverside were often on the calendar.

The Annual Report of the Secretary of the Board of Governors for the year 1913 states: “During the year, the village authorities at Riverside admitted that a certain street adjacent to the Home on the south end which had been enclosed by a fence, be removed and placed back on the block line, which took seventy-nine feet of the space on that end of the ground.” The Administrator, Mrs. Cora J.Cummings was very unhappy about this loss of property.

The cornerstone of the new building was laid May 21, 1910. Many Scots were present with John Williamson, Rev. James MacLagan, Rev. Balcom Shaw, James B. Forgan, and Horace D. Nugent, British consul general, participating in the program. Involved in raising money for the Home were members of the United Scottish Societies but they quickly withdrew from ownership and the project was turned over to the St. Andrew Society. Residents moved into their new home in October and the Scottish Home was dedicated on November 5, 1910.

The Scottish Home was destroyed by fire, March 17, 1917, but was quickly rebuilt.

North Riverside was incorporated in 1923 and consisted of 50 homes and 200 residents. The population in 2009 was 6,203.


Wayne Rethford
President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew's Society
http://www.chicagoscots.net/
wrethford@comcast.net

Miscellaneous Notes

August 12, 1948

The obituary of Andrew Taylor Porter, 90, brother-in-law to Frank Lloyd Wright who died at his home, Tan-Y-Deri, near Spring Green, Wisconsin.  He was a native of Scotland and had first founded an importing company in Montreal and later entered in the investment business in Chicago.  He was married in 1900 to Jane Lloyd Wright, of Oak Park, who survives as does one son, Franklin, of White Plaines,  New York.

December 28, 1892

The Royal Scots Regiment held a Christmas reception at 75 Randolph St.  Eight hundred people were present. Music was supplied by eight bagpipers one of whom was Maj. Beaton of Cleveland, who was the champion American piper.  The Regiment planned to be part of the Rob Roy celebration of the 134th anniversary of Robert Burns. They were to take part in the McGregor charge at the celebration.
                                                                  
August 9, 1892

One hundred Scots, each man six feet tall and wearing the Royal Stuart kilt and armed with a claymore will form a new organization.  The first meeting was held in Parlor A of the Grand Pacific Hotel.  Royal Stuart was chosen  because they said “it represents all of Scotland and not any particular clan.”  All members were selected for size and build.
                                                                  
November 18, 1956

The first in a series of afternoon teas were started on November 18, 1956, at the Scottish Home.  The hosts were: “ George Buiks of Maywood, the junior John Allwoods of River Forest, the Stuart B. Potters of Riverside, and Mrs. C. Edward Larson, the superintendent of the home.”  These informal parties were organized by the Ladies Auxiliary for Chicagoland Scots.  The article in the Chicago Daily Tribune also mentions that the “Old People’s Home is a beneficiary of the annual tag day of the Chicago Federation of Aged and Adult Charities.”  Mrs. Potter had succeed Mrs. John Hutchinson of Kenilworth as the chairman for tag day for the home.

October 27, 1900

 “There was a gathering of the Clan Campbell in Oakley Hall last night to celebrate the arrival in Chicago of a genuine Gyrony flag of the Campbells of Argyll, which the Duke of Argyll recently presented to the clan.  The flag was unfurled amid cheers, while the band planed The Campbells are Coming.  It was placed beside a handsome silk American flag, and then the band played The Star Spangled Banner. 

The Gyrony flag is the historic emblem of Argyll.  It floats over Inveraray Castle in Scotland whenever the Duke of Argyll is within the walls.  Its design is that of four black triangles and four yellow triangles, all converging to the center.  The Clan Campbell of Cook County has increased in numbers during the last two years from sixteen to 108.  It is No. 28 of the Order of Scottish Clans.

Wayne Rethford
President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew Society


September 17, 2011 - The Scottish American History Club will meet in Heritage Hall at the Scottish Home.  Our special speaker will be Brett Batterson, Executive Director of the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University. You will enjoy his presentation at 10:00 a.m.  and it will serve as the foundation of a proposed history tour sometime in the future.

October 1, 2011 - Please note there will be some major changes in the format of our October meeting.  The time will change to the afternoon.  Reservations are required (708-447-5092) and seating is limited to 125.  Watch for further announcements on the web site.

LAKE STREET CHURCH OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - THE BUILDING AND A MEMORIAL

On August 27, 2011, a number of us attended the memorial for Don Gillies at the Lake Street Church of Evanston, IL. Don had served as president of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society and had been a supporter of our programs since becoming a life member in 1975. It was good to see David Fargo, who was president in 1981-82, and is now the oldest surviving member to have served in that position. Other past-presidents attending were: Robert Bruce Graham, Alexander D. Kerr, Jr. , myself and Gus Noble, the current president.

The service was held in the Lake Street Church, which was founded in 1858 as the First Baptist Society in Evanston. (A change in names occurred in the mid 1990's.) The Victorian Gothic building was erected in 1875 for a total cost of $30,647.63. The church is just magnificent and is now the oldest public building in Evanston. There is much information on the Internet about the church and the building.

I knew something about the church from a study of the life of Andrew MacLeish. Mr. MacLeish was born in Glasgow, Scotland and came to Chicago in 1857, where, in time, he became associated with Carson, Pirie & Scott. Under his leadership the State Street Store was purchased and “the rest is Chicago retail history.”

Andrew MacLeish married Martha Hillard in 1888 and they eventually moved to 627 Adams St. in Glencoe, IL. They became members of the First Baptist Church in Evanston. Mr. MacLeish was a very religious man and regularly taught a Sunday School class. Martha Hillard MacLeish was the first president of Rockford College and was a leader in religious and cultural activities that made “her one of the most esteemed women of Chicago and the North Shore.”

Kenneth MacLeish was the youngest son of Andrew and Martha MacLeish. He was a student at Yale when America entered World War I and was also a member of the First Yale Unit, composed of young men who loved flying. Kenneth was killed in a dog fight over Belgium three weeks before the war ended. He is buried in Flanders Field and the parents sought solace and comfort at their church in Evanston.

On April 8, 1923, the church dedicated a “churchhouse” adjoining the present sanctuary. It contains a hall “named after and in memory of Lt. Kenneth MacLeish.”

Jean Gillies, sister of Don, was kind enough to give Gus Noble and me a tour of the annex where we viewed the hall dedicated to this brave young man. A plaque tells his story. Once a picture of Kenneth along with a cross made of wood taken from Flanders Field adorned the wall. Those items mysteriously disappeared a few years ago.

If you would like to know more about Kenneth MacLeish and his love affair with Priscilla Murdock, I recommend you read The Price of Honor by Geoffrey L. Rossano or The Millionaires’ Unit by Marc Wortman.

Wayne Rethford
President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrews Society

P.S. The History Club will meet September 17 at the Scottish Home. (This is a change in date.) Our speaker will be Brett Batterson, Executive Director of the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University. After spending 11 years at the Michigan Opera Theater in Detroit, he came to Chicago in 2004. Under his direction, a number of significant changes have occurred to the building and its programming. You will enjoy his presentation and it will serve as the foundation for a proposed tour of the Auditorium sometime in the future.

Donald A. Gillies (1931-2011) A man who loved all things Scottish and a close friend is dead.

I first met Don Gillies in the fall of 1985. Rev. Arthur T. Guscott brought us together for lunch at the University Club in Chicago. The Scottish Home was seeking to hire an Administrator and I was being interviewed. I suppose his findings were passed along to the search committee and my next interview was with Peter Georgeson and Bob Black at the Scottish Home. I was hired in December of 1985 and reported for work in January, 1986.

Don was a very demanding boss and called almost every day to check on my progress. We developed a strong bond and became close friends. Our last lunch was also at the University Club, but I am not sure of the date. He was struggling with his Parkinsons disease but there was not the slightest verbal hint that anything was wrong. We talked of past days and perhaps both of us understood that this would be our last lunch. We shook hands for a long time and then parted. I will always consider Don Gillies a close, personal friend.  Our Society is much indebted to him for his years of service and his dedication to our work.

His obituary was printed in the Chicago Tribune, August 22,  and a memorial service will be held this Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Lake Street Church, 607 Lake Street, Evanston, IL. If you would like a copy of his obituary, you may call the Society office or email me at wrethford@comcast.net. He is survived by his wife Judith, a daughter Beth and a sister Jean.

Here are some comments from the obiturary.

Graduate of Denison University and J.D. at Northwestern University
Member of Phi Beta Kappa
Board of Trustees, University of Chicago - 1977 to 1983
Board President of The Baptist Theological Union - 27 years
Vice President and Board of Directors, Baptist Retirement Home
President of the Illinois St. Andrew Society - 1986 to 1988
Member of the Skokie Country Club in Glencoe since 1976
Frequently traveled to Scotland with his wife to play golf
Loved bagpipe music and all things Scottish
Partner with Altheimer & Gray, which he joined in 1961
Counsel with Holland & Knight from 2003 until retirement
Specialized in taxation and estate law.

Wayne Rethford
President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
wrethford@comcast.net

THE AUDITORIUM BUILDING AND THEATER, PART II

PLEASE NOTE:  The History Club meeting scheduled for September 10 has been rescheduled for September 17.

I have had several emails wanting more information about the Auditorium building and the seating capacity of the theater. The story of the Auditorium is a great story and someone should write a book if it hasn’t already been done.

There are several different numbers about the seating capacity of the Auditorium Theater. When the first events were held there was no permanent seating. Folding chairs were used along with overflow spaces. This may be where the 9,000 number originated. (It could also be that the reporter was wrong with his estimate.) Later there is a statement in the Tribune saying that the theater was built to seat 4,237 "and was the largest permanent theater every constructed in the world up to that time.”

During the first political convention, folding chairs were used and the newspaper reports that there were 5,000 spectators, 2,000 reporters plus the delegates. In 1889, the Tribune reports that 5,000 opera-chairs were furnished by “the old and reliable house of A. H Andrews and Co.” Today, I understand the Theater seats 2,327.

The Tribune in 1887, lists the original stockholders and more than 100 names are listed. The officers of the corporations were: Charles L. Hutchinson, John R. Walsh, N. F. Fairbanks, A. L. Coe, Charles Counselman, A. A. Sprague, M. A. Ryerson, W. E. Hale, William Penn Nixon, Henry Field, and Ferdinand W. Peck. Mr. Peck served as President.

It is the only major Adler and Sullivan Building remaining in Chicago and was marked by grand stairways, magnificent arches, stained glass, 22-karat gold leaf and an acoustically perfect auditorium. Upwards of 60,000 sq. ft. of plate glass was used in the building. On top of the Auditorium is an 8-story office building. Not sure how the office building is used today but, it once recorded the official temperatures for the city of Chicago and was the tallest structure in town.

The opening performance on December 11, 1889, was a “Grand Italian Opera production of Romeo and Juliet.”

The building was among the first to be totally wired for electricity and one of the last great buildings to rest on sand and mud without a foundation of caissons. The area of the site is about two acres.

A 10-foot duct brought in air from the roof and was cooled by sprays of water in the summer and the air was heated in the winter. The vast stage with its elevators and backdrops was designed in Vienna.

The Chicago Opera Company used the theater for 40 years but the building was never a financial success and by the Great Depression the Chicago Auditorium Association was bankrupt. Bids to demolish the building were taken in 1930 and 1931, but the cost of demolition was greater than the value of the land. The question of who had authority to demolish the building, the land owners or the Association, became a legal issue and made it all the way to the Supreme Court.

During World War II, the Auditorium served as the USO and the great stage was turned into a bowling alley.

Roosevelt University bought the building in 1946 for $400,000 and a promise to pay back taxes of $1,300,000. The Founders had originally chosen the name of Jefferson University but when President Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, the name was changed. The University began restoring the Theater in 1960 and it was reopened in 1967.

In Chicago, who owns the land is always interesting. Part of the land, the northeast corner, was owned by the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company. In 1903, that lease was assigned to the Fine Arts Association. The term of the lease was for 99 years. In 1889, Boston capitalists purchased the southwest corner of the property for $232,200. It was leased back to the Auditorium Association for 99 years. Henry J. Willing once owned a major portion of the land. Over time, the University has purchased back most of the land according to an article in the Chicago Tribune dated, February 27, 1947. One lease does not expire until 2085. It was written for 200 years.

We are considering a Fall history tour to visit the Auditorium Theater. The History Club meeting on September 17 will feature the Director of the Auditorium Theater.  Once we have more information, we will send everyone an email with the details.

Wayne Rethford
President Scottish American History Club
mailto:wrethford@comcast.net

Scots Celebrate Robert Burns in the Newly Opened Auditorium Theatre, 1890

The Auditorium Theater in Chicago was dedicated on December 9, 1889, and the Scottish people held one of the first events in the new building on January 25, 1890. It was a celebration of Robert Burns.  The headlines read “Scotch Citizens pack the auditorium to do the Bard Honor.” The Auditorium was said to seat 9,000 and was the largest building of its kind in the world.

The Highland Association rented the auditorium for the occasion. The Chicago Daily Tribune reported, “well-to-do Scotchmen - and there are scores of them in Chicago - bought boxes and sat in them with their wives and families; middle-class Scotchmen and Scotchwomen occupied the vast parquet and parquet circle, transforming the spacious hall into a sweeping upland of smiling faces.” Young people chose the balcony so that every seat was filled and there was standing room only.

The paper gave an interesting list of those on the platform and indicated they are all Scottish, including Mayor Cregier. Among the other names listed were: General M. M. Trumbull, Peter McEwen, F. B. Williams, George Stewart, Colin Bell, A. G. Hodge, John McLean, John McKinnon, Dr. Reynolds and the Rev. W. Kettle.

The Orator of the evening was the Rev. Dr. Lorimer and his theme was Robert Burns, the Poet of the People. “For Robert Burns, the poor man, the speaker had only words of praise; for Robert Burns, the songster who stirred men’s hearts to a marvelous degree, praise became something warmer and dearer. But higher than all, Robert Burns, the teacher, the poet-philosopher, who spurned the trappings of a monarch’s court and took off his hat to a picture of George Washington, who taught men to soar above narrow-mindedness and in a universal brotherhood to recognize the attributes of an all-merciful Heaven-for such a Burns, Dr. Lorimer’s words were eloquent almost to veneration. And that other side of the poet’s character - the rollicking, ne’er-do-weel, amorous country swain - even that was shorn of its unpleasantness by the kindly portrayal of the orator.”

The highlight of the evening was the singing of young Blatchford Kavanaugh. Not sure of his age, but he was a child and became quite famous for his singing. That evening he sang “Cuddle Doon,” “Annie Laurie” and later in the program dressed in Highland costume sang “Ye Banks and Braes o’ Bonnie Doon.” A reporter wrote that “it looked for a while as if the audience would be crazed with delight.” If you search the Internet there is more information about the child Blatchford Kavanaugh. He must have been an amazing singer. I do not know what happened to him as an adult.

There were other songs, singers and Highland dancers. Of all the dancing, the Highland fling drew the greatest applause. It was a great evening of entertainment and must have been quite a sight to see the Auditorium filled with “Scotchmen in broadcloth and Scotchmen in tartan kilt, Scotch lassies in bran noo gownes, and Scotch guidwives in go-to-meeting clothes . . . ”

Chicago had a large Scottish population. In fact, some have said it had the largest Scottish population of any major American city. We still have a large population of Scottish Americans scattered throughout the greater Chicago area. We would ask all of them to support the Illinois St. Andrew Society and The Scots of Chicago and keep alive their heritage.

For more information go to www.chicagoscots.org.

Wayne Rethford
President Emeritus
wrethford@comcast.net

If you don’t know history you are a leaf that doesn’t know its part of a tree.

The Auditorium Theater and Hotel

The Chicago Daily Tribune announced on January 30, 1887, that ground had been broken for the Chicago Auditorium Building which was to be 11 stories high and have a seating capacity of 5,000 to 8,000, and cost $1,500,000. In order to clear the land it was necessary to remove three residences, a large skating rink, and the Hotel Brunswick.

In April the paper reported again with information taken from the specifications of the architects. Now, the building is to cost two million dollars. And be 10 stories high. When completed is was to be a hotel and auditorium. The hotel entrance was to be on Michigan avenue and the auditorium on Congress street. “The auditorium will be the largest in the word, containing 5,000 seats and a full seating capacity of 9,000.” The amount of iron used will be the largest ever made for one building, 4,000 tons of materials.

The plans for the building were provided by Adler and Sullivan who carefully prepared the foundation. Frank Lloyd Wright as a young man served as a draftsman. The borings for the floating foundation extended 60 feet “into the tunnel clay.” The excavation required the removal of 30,000 cubic yards of earth. (I suppose they only had horse-power, but it is not clear how long the process took.) For the foundation “two transverse layers of twelve-inch timber were first put down. Above these was placed a mass of concrete in which was imbedded railroad bars and T beams.”

For the hotel they dug an artesian well to a depth of over 1,200 feet which would furnish 150 gallons per minute for hotel use. There were nine passenger elevators and four freight elevators. The hotel had 400 rooms, with 100 rooms having a private bath. The dining room was on the tenth floor. We can only imagine how beautiful the hotel was for their special guests.

There was an immense organ in the auditorium. It was built by Frank Roosevelt of New York and contained four-manual, 175 stops and 7,371 pipes and bells. The largest pipes were thirty-two feet in height. It was to cost fifty thousand dollars. I don’t know if the organ still exists.

It was later decided that the substructure up to the top of the second floor would be granite. The rest of the building would be stone A new stone was to be introduced. It was a “fine gray granite, with a rose-colored tint running though it.” The quarries were located in St. Louis County, Minnesota about 80 miles north of Duluth and 50 miles west of Lake Superior. The cutting, polishing and preparations would be done in Chicago by Chicago workmen.

The Auditorium was formally dedicated December 9, 1889 by President Benjamin Harrison. It was now ready for numerous Scottish events including a tribute to Queen Victoria.

There is more to the story and you can find additional information on the Internet.


Wayne Rethford
President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew Society


The next meeting of the Scottish American History Club is September 10, 2011. Watch for announcement of special speaker. Subject: “The Scottish Roots of Rotary.”